In Nick Veasey’s “Bride and Groom,” the artist presents a wedding portrait in which the bride and groom are not recognised by their bodies, but gestured at by their clothes. The ceremonial dressings still appear bodied — their silhouettes elicit stereotyped projections of figure, form and sex. But looking specifically into the ways in which the fabrics wrinkle, like at the arms and legs of the groom’s suit, it becomes clear that there aren’t actually any bodies inhabiting these garments at all, and like a study in semiotics, the clothes become signifiers of “bride” and “groom,” even when the actual bride and groom do not exist in the image at all. Thus, Veasey saves the image from feeling too Corpse Bride-y and, instead, produces an investigation into meaning, identity, and knowledge.

Size: 19.69”W 27.56”H (50x70 cm)

Printed on FSC-certified paper